-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There are no easy answers when journalists have to decide how to cover a terrorist group 's video .

The issue resurfaced Tuesday when a member of the Islamic extremist group ISIS was shown on camera beheading American journalist Steven Sotloff . No major news organization showed the gruesome conclusion of the ISIS video , but many did show screen grabs and short video clips of Sotloff and the executioner , as well as another hostage that ISIS is threatening to kill .

The video is newsworthy -- even if it also plays into the propagandistic hands of the people who produced it .

But a vocal flock of viewers and readers -- and some fellow journalists -- have deplored the decisions to show snippets of the video , reprising arguments that were made in August when news organizations showed screen grabs of James Foley , another American journalist who was beheaded by ISIS .

`` Ca n't believe this bears repeating , but one should not empower ISIS by publishing their PR materials , '' freelance journalist Jeb Boone wrote on Twitter after the Sotloff video emerged .

One major international broadcaster , Al Jazeera , said it had decided not to show any images of Sotloff from the video -- a more conservative position than other television networks . `` We suggest all media do the same , '' Al Jazeera 's public relations account said via Twitter , using the hashtag #ISISmediaBlackout .

Not showing the video at all , however , risks sanitizing the grim reality of the world .

So most media outlets tried to strike a balance . ISIS `` would like us to show you the most graphic images on that video , as part of their campaign of terror . We will not , '' CBS News anchor Charlie Rose said as he introduced a segment about Sotloff 's death . Instead , CBS showed only video clips from it .

Media figures also tried to demonstrate some self-awareness when dealing with the issue .

`` No way to avoid leading the show with ISIS butchery and yet , maddeningly , that also seems like what ISIS wants , '' Chris Hayes wrote on Twitter before his 8 p.m. MSNBC program .

Newscasts tended to show more photos of Sotloff in the field , reporting on stories throughout the Middle East , than of him as a hostage . But screen grabs from the video were still widespread , including on CNN 's homepage and television networks .

The Foley video surfaced on the social media website Diaspora , as reported by INSITE , a blog on terrorism and extremism run by the SITE Intelligence group . It was later put on YouTube and promoted via Twitter .

The Sotloff video was discovered on an unidentified file-sharing website by the SITE Intelligence Group , which researches terrorist threats . Perhaps that 's why social media reactions to the Sotloff video were more muted -- or perhaps , terribly , it 's because the shock value was diminished the second time around .

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No major news organization showed the conclusion of the ISIS Steven Sotloff video

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Some viewers , readers and journalists have deplored decisions to show snippets of it

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`` One should not empower ISIS by publishing their PR materials , '' a journalist tweets

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Not showing the video at all , however , risks sanitizing the grim reality of the world